A Better World
by Hello Mickey
Summary: Takes Place during the events of Borderlands 2 (Pre-sequel Is relevant); Angel did not die in the bunker by the Vault hunter(s) and Jack succeeds on discovering/Uncovering the vault but at what Cost? The Trust and betrayal of his own flesh and Blood?


"Jack,I-I don't want to do this anymore.." Angel stammered out; trying not to wince from her fathers harsh grip on her forearm as he dragged her across the rocky terrain.

"Shut up Angel" He hissed, tugging her over to the Hyperion software set up at the edge of the rocks then turned to her with such ferocity that it caused the girl to cringe.

"I've been through to much..I've gotten TOO far for the likes of you to ruin my plans now- Don't you- Don't You DARE ruin it for me now!" He shook her slightly;but not enough to actually harm her;knock some sense into her per-say. It was no longer we. Or them. Or us. She was nothing. Just another pawn forced to play his little game. She could see the insanity burn in his mix-matched eyes and it pained her to know that her father was gone for good this time. He'd gotten what he wanted, and once that was complete, he'd kill her too no doubt.

Her eyes fell to the ground; brown,deserted cracked land beneath her boots leaking orange heat. All this time she'd been begging for freedom,craving the fresh air and warmth outside. Recalling the days she'd pleaded from her chambers to see the flowers, count the stars and lie in the grass because inside it just wasn't the same had he scolded her that the world was cruel.

He was right. The thought twisted her mind,upsetting her perfect features.

"Hey.." there was that voice again except this time it was much softer her own soft pained hues rows up from his watch at his shoulder the Nestled to meet those fearful mismatched eyes of his.

For safety measures, he grabbed her chin,just to make sure she wouldn't look from him. His thumbs stroked her chin gently,deceivingly affectionate.

"Don't look so defeat pumpkin,we've finally won and Pandora will be saved at last..." He said. His voice made her sick, though not as sick as she felt replying in her usual; sweet, gentle tone;

"P-Promise me something will you father?"

She asked,already weak from the Eridium poisoning,the last of her 'medicine'

"Anything for you sweetheart," His tone was bittersweet.

"P-Promise me,things will be different..." Her voice broke barley above a whisper,her bright blue hues gazing over jack's earsplitting grin; not making her any less hesitant.

"Angel ,sweetheart, things /Will/ be different..." He cooed,pulling her into his arms lovingly; almost /too/ lovingly of an embrace and if she'd tried hard enough, it may have been pulled off as a genuine hug. She attempted to lift her arms around to hug his back; tears leaving down her bruised cheeks.

"They will Be /Better/"The growl in his words sent more shivers down her spine as he drew away again. That flash in his eyes made her want to run,all traces of his sanity within that miss-matched hold disappearing once again; all trace of kindness oozing away from beneath that handsome mask of his.

"Finish this...Make your father proud" He moved his hand from her shoulder;drawing back when the sound of gunfire startled them both.

"Jack"

His eyes raised over her shoulder sighting,Maya; the funny little blue haired siren running their way; flaming wings darting behind her as she charged at them guns blazing with those other filthy bandits not far behind.

Jack shoved Angel's back against his body;arm crossing her chest to stop her from flailing as he bought his other grip against her wrist tightly so she wouldn't squirm. She gasped out in response with both surprise and pain,arm halted from his sudden rage on her.

"Vault hunter"

"Vault hunter..." Jack said,voice laced with vemon as he nudged at Angel to stop her from fighting him off. A Sadistic smile began to form across his prosthetic cheeks as he studied them.

"So nice of you to Join me...The key is almost charged,thanks to the help of your friendly,guardian angel here..." He chuckled cruelly,sending Maya into a fighting stance and zer0 drawing his sword from nothingness.

Jack then repeated those familiar words; the ones that rang through and continued to haunt the siren's head ever since Jack pulled out of that embrace of his; "Make me proud,baby girl"

"Until then...I've got a planet to save" After shoving Angel off of him, he lunges at the vault hunters. She stumbles over to the mechanism of strange Hyperion tech. Tears shielding her eyes as she whispered brokenly;

 **"Executing Phase shift..."**

* * *

Loaderbots screeched as they landed all around,sending the earth around them cracking. Kragon like creatures were pulling themselves out of the lava snapping at the heels of the vault hunters with powerful jaws. Axton drew out his turret in open fire while Gaige jumped on his shoulders summoning her prize winning robot, death trap. Maya was spinning in a three-sixty, shooting at any and every jack she saw. The real one phased out from behind the siren, landing her one between the wings and sending her to the ground. She cried out in pain but kept her balance from stumbling forward to much. She could hear his raging screams from behind her,but as she turned she saw it was an actual psycho lunging through the air to land on Jack, but he heard the warning cry of

"DON'T TOUCH PRETTY LADY!'" and open fired on him.

"Krieg!" She cried,managing to get a hold of her weapon and break the other end against jacks face, sending him stumbling.

"Incoming!"

Looking up just as Jack had disappeared again the flaming haired siren had landed fist first in his place

"Miss me?" She smirked,both her eyes and tattoos glowing as she rose.

"'Bout damn time,thought you got lost out there..." Maya smirked a little in return once she was back to her feet.

"Very funny Maya, had to help the boys..." She explained, eyes raising towards the cliffs, "they're not far from here..." She said, turning back to back with the siren as they finished shooting down several other Jack clones and Kragon's

"You go help Krieg,I'll stop Angel..." Lilith said, suddenly darting in the other direction

Salvador was breaking a clone over his knee out of blind fury when Gaige began running in his direction.

"Salv, Duck!" The tomboy yelled, not slowing even a little. Salvador bent down with a grunt of disappointment when the clone faded, half hoping it would have been the real Jack. Gaige's foot dug into his lower back drawing a wrench from her waist as she launched through the air over his body and landed down on an exploder-bot, causing it to malfunction and eventually blow up.

"Oh no you don't..." Jack snarled as he appeared behind Lilith, who'd been attempting to reach out and stop his daughter. His merciless grip dug into her hair,yanking her backwards then firing her down with his wrist gun. That's when zer0 manifested behind Jack. A powerful yank at the back of the head sent his sword driving through the masked tyrant's lower back, stopping him from finishing the siren off.

"Aagh!"

The blade drew itself from his stomach just as he toppled over.

"H-Hurry,the key is charged!" Angel cried out as the last of her energy had been spent, sending her down.

"I'm not going down yet..." Jack coughed up in his own blood, grabbing the key and plunging it into the ground with a satisfying lock that followed before falling over.

"No!" Maya shouted, lurching forward; but a purple explosion set off shielding both Jack and angel while sending The siren flying backwards. The whole ground began to shake, and for a moment, all of the vault hunters froze and tensed at the thought of the world ending right then and there.

"Holy Shi..." Axton cut off lowering his gun as the massive magma monster pulled itself out of the earth's crust. It's mouth parted oozing lava and rock when it let out a ferocious roar causing Jack to smile,

"Warrior ...Kill" he commanded the creature, and it stormed further towards the surface, sending the vault hunters scattering beneath it. Gaige grabbed her bot,Axton his turret and Krieg went out on a rampage while Lilith and Maya took to the sky,soaring the beast like hungry hawks.

"J-Jack?" Angel's voice broke over the madness being muffled from under the safety of the shield.

"Not now Angel"

Those words shed grown so used to over the years haunted her ears, even in their time of dying. The "not now's" and the "I'm to busy's" he'd been barking throughout her entire childhood. Ever since that vault had been discovered, since moxxi and the others betrayal. Since he hid his fatherhood behind a mask of anger and lies. Though now may have been their last chance.

Her last chance.

"Dad please-"

"I said not now Angel!" He croaked, his voice laced with psychical pain he was struggling over trying to shift to his knees to stop the bleeding in his gut.

"Listen to me!" Angel almost snarled her tattoos around her arms sparking... Had she not been so angry she may have actually smiled with satisfaction at the look of utter shock she was giving her.

"I...I'm sorry..." Her voice dropped some, was she really? All of these times he's snapped at or barked her way...and here she was,apologizing to the most egotistical asshole of Pandora. Her eyes went from the ground to him again.

"For yelling...for not,being good enough, for you? Not being everything you've asked for...everything you ever wanted...I-I was never cut out to be the perfect daughter, You'll never forgive me for that, or for mom but-..." She could feel her voice break as she grew weaker and weaker.

"Angel.." He started to cut in

"But You are...A power hungry...Twisted...Manipulative Asshole-"

"Angel-"

 **"Who needs...to be stopped..."**

* * *

The warriors powerful jaws snatched away at Lilith's siren wings,opening as they ripped her from the sky and sent her hurling downward into a rock.

"Lilith!" Maya cried from above, just as the creatures powerful paw swooped her out of the air; hadn't the hatchet of the friendly pyscho's axe hacked itself into the monsters hand would she have been crushed alive. Krieg pulled his weapon out running straight up the creatures bulky arm yelling victoriously,

"FOR PRETTY LADY!"when it's lava-invested mouth opened to growl at him; he slashed his weapon into it's rough face just as it bucked and sent him to the ground.

"Krieg!" Maya shouted,reaching for her gun to duck beside him and out of the way of the monster's poisonous tail whipping their way.

"The lava's rising!" Axton almost gasped drawing his boot away from the surface, retrieving his turret in the process.

"The floor is Lava! The Floor is Lava!" Gaige giggled, skipping over beside Salvador who'd suggested launching her again.

"Angel stop..." Jack growled,palms digging into the ground as he began to pull himself up,seeing his daughter had already beat him to it.

Zer0 had gone zipping up the side of a rock to help Lilith and her injuries who was studying the scene from below as she saw the glow beginning to flicker and fade; pointing out to Jack and Angel

"Guys..." Lilith croaked in pain,silently thanking the masked assassin from under one arm as he pulled her to her feet.

"Shield's are down-" She announced weakly; almost surprised,one arm falling over her rib-cage(probably broken) trying not to slouch. The remaining vault hunters paused within their attack to turn their eyes on the glowing siren that was Handsome Jack's daughter.

"Angel What are you doing!?"

"Stopping you,Jack"

* * *

The ground trembled as she towered him, her power leaking into the key, the walls around the broken wasteland began to shake and crack as well with the monsters howl. The howl broke off into a wail of pain and agony and Jack watched with wide-eyed horror as his masterpiece began to flail about; hardening and breaking before his very eyes.

"Look out kid!" Salvador snagged,rolling over Gaige to stop her from getting crushed by the rain of rocks. The monster was sucked back into the earth, it's cries of pain echoing throughout the lava falls; massive fist clawing away at the land while being forced back into the hellish earth from which it was awakened

"NOOOOOOoo!" Jack was screaming with rage; stumbling forward to grab at Angel but she put her hand out; stopping him dead in his tracks.

"Think about this angel...Think about what you're doing!" He was trying to bark at her, only stumbling slightly.

All the girl could think about were those many years wasted. The times when Jack had taken her riding on that diamond pony he loved so much. Her visiting him in the hospital with the sheriff when she was younger the day after he'd gotten branded...the day everything changed. No more flowers from the outside in her cell; just experiments and tiny walls. No more visits to dust,trips to the moon or 'I love yous' Just lies and heartbreak. She was the only one left, the only one who really knew Jack for what he truly was before the betrayal, before the insanity had gotten to him... The blood thirsty lust and corruption of power; and she also knew that,that jack who loved and cared for her so much then, had died with her childhood long ago.

"T-This can't be happening...This was MY story...I wasn't supposed to die...Not like this Angel! They...They were the bad guys and I- **I AM THE GODDAMNED HERO**!" He croaked,

tears started to sheen the inside of his prosthetic face, she could see the glistening in his eyes. The others would have been able to notice too as they drew closer. Maya was holding the limp krieg beneath one arm while holding herself up with the other. Lilith was leaning on Zer0 breathlessly; Axton carrying Gaige on his back and Salvador staking behind the rest of the group slowly.

"Angel, we...we can fix this, we'll move away, leave this dreadful planet like we always wanted too...find another Vault? Fix /everything/ we've fought for...everything you've lost today- start over...have that better beginning we've been dreaming about" He pleaded,

yet those words were there again. He was using we in all of the wrong places...he didn't care about her at all; this is what she could tell. He used 'Them' where it didn't matter, it was all about Handsome Jack.

"Don't Listen to him Angel..." Maya said;almost shouted; yet she knew...she knew how manipulative..how persuasive her dad could be. Angel's eyes turned colder and she swallowed her pride before saying aloud to him,

"/You've/ been dreaming about...The better beginning, You've been dreaming about,Jack" She said; and that's when it occurred to him. His eyes grew wider finally realizing that Angel; his daughter,his own baby-girl...was going to end him.

"n-no no no no, You don't understand Angel,Everything I've done, everything I've ever worked for- this better world-The awakening of the warrior was for YOU-For YOUR better world...for My angel...Not for Hyperion, the vault hunters their influences they've... broken you.."

She stepped closer,more menacingly assure of herself this time,

"No Jack...You broke me,and that's worse than any 'bandit' could have ever done"

"Angel I-I love you- I always have,for the better...don't...don't you- You weren't supposed to hate me- ThEY made You hate me! Please,Angel I'm /sorry/"

She loved him too. Even then, but he was going to break this world if she didn't finish this now. She wanted to say this aloud...but when did he ever give her the benefit of the doubt? Raising her hand to his head she spoke again with sheened eyes and replied finally,

 _ **"Me too"**_

* * *

"NO ANGEL!" He broke off in excruciating pain; shaky arms reaching up to attempt to grab her wrist and pry them off of his face but his vision went blind as his eyes rolled back into his head. He felt all the blood in his body begin to boil as it glow a mix of blue and purple. He felt his brain being liquefied but could no longer scream as his knees began to give in. She wanted- so badly, to cup his face and fall with him...to press her forehead against his. To close her eyes and cry with him as he collapsed but her palm never left his forehead even when his hands went limp to his sides and he finally crumpled to the ground with a defeated grunt.

The mask had broke under the pressure and now lied as motionless as the man who once wore it while her powers began to die down. As soon as it was over her hair had settled against her shoulders, wings fading into the background and glowing tattoos along with her pulse had died down before she too,dropped to the ground.

"Angel!" Maya cried, running over to help her. Gaige wanted to budge forward,but Axton's hand moved forward to stop her.

"Man, That was one hell'fa' Earthquake..." Mordecai's dry humor filled the air shortly after yet another Rakks fell from the sky at Krieg's feet;causing the rest of them to look up and see him reloading his sniper rifle onto his back. He drew out a silver flask from his belt all while leaning on Brick looking tough and beat as hell from behind the leader of the crimson raiders.

"Roland!" Lilith gasped, quickly departing from under Zer0s side and rushing the male into a hard but weak embrace as if it were the last time they'd ever see each-other. Shocked,but not complaining,Roland smiled a little warily as he moved an arm around the blooded siren to return the careful embrace; his free hand resting gently against the back of her head which he pressed his lips at the top of and sighed tiredly,

"It's over..."

Axton's boot crushed the loose sand near the scene of the last fight as he leaned over with a slight scoff to retrieve the broken mask with beefy hands and shook his head momentarily smirking.

"Man...Jack's dead? N' I didn't even get a swing on em'!" Brick exclaimed with a groan while pushing his way off of Mordy.

"Guys..."

* * *

They turned to find the blue-haired siren at her knees beside Handsome Jack's body. She was holding a young raven-haired girl in the safety of her lap,fingers brushing gently through the locks out of her now-closed eyes. Her skin was flushed and pale as liar's berg snow, even through all of the thick ash and fight she'd gone through.

Tears threatened to flow down the fellow siren's cheek as she studied the child under her grip; then slowly lifted her head to find the others joining her side.

"She...She died for his mistakes..."

"Damn Saved us all." Axton furrowed his brows; perhaps visibly fighting back his own tears at such a sacrifice.

"The _True_ Hero of Pandora." Roland announced, stepping in bravely as he looked upon the others; and even within the silence they knew what it was they had to do. There a statue was built in the center of sanctuary for all of the people in the world to know this. That Angel was the true guardian angel of Pandora; and ultimately, Handsome Jack's downfall...


End file.
